Frequently Asked Questions

Why is a single authentication method, such as macroscopic examination, considered insufficient on its...

Why is a single authentication method, such as macroscopic examination, considered insufficient on its own? Each method has a distinct evidentiary limitation: macroscopic characters can be mimicked by an adulterant species, microscopic characters may be obscured in highly processed material, and even DNA barcoding cannot distinguish differences arising from growing conditions rather than genotype. Regulatory and publication standards therefore expect convergent evidence from at least two independent methods, typically macroscopic or microscopic evaluation combined with either DNA barcoding or chromatographic fingerprinting.

Does a voucher specimen need to be deposited for every single research sample collected? Yes — current Indian Pharmacopoeia and WHO expectations require a voucher specimen and accession number for the specific collection batch used in a given study, since even the same species collected at a different time or location may show materially different phytoconstituent content.